Lamp tube changer



Aug. 7, 19 ,5. 7 A. o. SWITZER LAMP TUBE CHANGER Filed June 17, 1944 2 Sl 1eets--Sheec l L 46" 31: I /z JAMS 2 4'27 I 6 I v v v INVENTOR.

' A. o. SWITZER LAMP TUBE CHANGER Aug. 7, 1194s. I

Filed June 17, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 7, 1945 I STATES PATENT OFFICE; [ifv 2,381,563. g a

v p CHANGER. V Asa 0. Switzer, Melrose, Ohio I l .Atti eat 'me 1 7, 1944, Serial No. 540,783

' f c Claims. (01. 294- 21) .;This inyentiong relates to improvements ina lamp. tube changer suited for, removal and re placementtof illuminating lamps, such as the .tubular iluorescenttype,.; with respect to the fix turess hich h u srm supported- -,Fiuorescent -illuminating lamps of the tubular typeaare supported; in flxture s in which the opposite endslar e received and itis necessary that upon installing the tubein connection with. its

fixtures, .ithat the tube be turned axially intopa definite'pcsition relative toits supporting fixtures in order that its electric contactors-be located properlyvwithin vthe fixtures. ifo'r the usual electrical connections essential tolighting of the lamp. Fluorescent tubular lamps}. are frequently. installedat points far above the flooxyand ordinarily jservicingj. lampslthus installed requires use of ladders to enable theattendant to approach the-lamp where situatedgto {effect removal or repla cement' H, g

An object, of; the instantinyention is .towprov-ide an equipment by whichftoenable the attendant, r while standing on theilo'or', tomake removals and i;e alacements, of lampsir'i remotely located posiions.

I 'notherjobrject' of the inventioni is to affordv a grapple by which t'o engagea, tubular lampfin conjunction ,tvith a mechanism. by which to im: partangular rotatiohlqflthe lamp with respect to the'axis thereof'toeifectits removal .or replacementfrom.a distantpointV v urther object of th invention is to afforda manually operated rotor ,inflconjunctio'n with eranple' membe' sb which toe' e -hold a tu fi flampiinto contact with the rotor, so that en agement w hit eiamp a -m v n o th i t rafi i amp ist d bq it axis wher s q. ajf e mi l mblv l nu l of t la p w h xesr 'e t'toi t nqirit n x s- H (y the invention is to afford a-tubular lamp p'rovidedwithindicia thereon so located with respectto its electrical con ee ers. ilia 'wrnin of he l ab u it x relative to it's supportingjfixtures definitely indl catesga properangular'position ofthe lamp, for insertion into"'it'sfsupporting fixtures, and for contacting'of its eiectrical fconnectionlwith re "ptlief ohj ects and "advantagesfof the invention p ea fi t i q as pti nv illustratiye, embodiment of theinvention is s -wa t ng accom ny n d aw in, which-'- Fig. 1",is an endf;'elevationall'yiew of a grapple I V tru'cture in. which the] invention is incorporated, a boit p b i i i n aw re...

r Fig. 2 isa fragmentary 'elevational -.view of the supporting-pole for the grapple and an operating member in connection therewith;

Fig. ,3'is a fragmentary endelevational view f theinvention in a modified form, drawn-t0. are duced scale; and v t Fig. 4 is afront elevational view-of the device including a portion of alamp tube secured-,in operative position therein, portionsbeing broken away.

. The illustrative embodiment of the invention consists of a supporting pole, preferably tubular and formed of twoaor morejointed sections 1-576 of different diameters. The uppermost section 6 has secured-thereon a clamp 1 in which isheld a cross-beam 8, preferably of tubular form. :Upon each end of thebeam is rigidly secured astandard 9 by means of a cap-screw [0 that is threaded in a plug Ilsecuredin the corresponding endof thebeam In the standards 9 is mounted a tubular shaft I2 having turning movement therein, and. upon said shaft is mounted, at. a pointwadjacentthe inner face of each standa'rd,a grapple arm l3 secured thereon by aset screw 14. gEachgrapple arm l3 hasan extension .15 that ,is. connected with the lower partof the standard 9 by means. of a tension spring [6, there beingprqvided a hoo-k I! on the extension l5- and a stud- 18 on. the standard to which the respective-ends of the spring are connected. Each arm l3 has a pendent part l9 having-lugsifl spaced apart from each other, and a stop 2| is. secured in each standard, the inner nd w ic .p i c si tq hewill 9f the steps, whereby sw n in mo m nt .1of,.th arms islimit'ed in either direction.

A stationary grapple I arm 22', janinte'g'ral part of each standard 9, arched oppositel withrespect to the adjacent grapple arm andpr e'f erably each rapple arm has mountedon itsfr'ec end fa pa i'r of contact rollers 1.35am .422 e} spectively for the urposehereinafter; described. Upon theshaft I 2 extendingfbetweenthe rap- The a tu t le h aiiearw d fi i ie i thelamp is confined 29 to which is attached one end of a contraction spring 30 the opposite end of which is connected with a hook 3| secured to the pole member 6, by

which the lever is sustained normally in its uppermost position. The outer end of the lever 25 extending through an elongated slot 36 in the pole, wherefore to permit connection with the; 5.: wire and limited axial movement of the sleeve,

By this arrangement movement is impartedto the actuating lever about the axis of the second-- ary shaft 23 and consequent turning of the secondary shaft through the medium of the ratchet wheel and pawl.

Upon the secondary shaft 23 are mounted cylin drical rotors or drivers '3 leachspreferably consisting of a cylinder 38 provided with an exterior elastic covering constituting a grooved 'tread'fl The drivers are located on the secondary shaft 23 at points thereon between the movable grapple arms l3 and the ratchet mechanism, there being a-spacer In disposed on the secondaryshaft between the ratchet mechanism and the adjacent end of the correspondingdrlver to sustaln the various parts in proper relative positions. 1" g In Fig. 3 is shown 'aform of the invention in wn-ichsranple arms '41 and 42 are arranged in connection with each other as in the former. instance. In this form theg'rapple arms are provided at their ends with inturned contact points ll"-42' that bear against the lamp tube "43 and function to hold the tube against-the rotor 4'4. This form ofthe invention erm-it's grasping of the tube by the grapple arms more readily when restrictedly in its-fixtures (nots'hown). y

Turning of the lamp permits the lamp terminails ll to be positioned properly for insertion into the lamp fixture'irrto contact with its'el'ec tflcal-conntectionsKhOt shown); Or, to bemo'v'ed to proper position for removal of the lamp. The appliance ls removed from the lamp tubeby simply pulling upon the. post with sufiicientforce to cause "the grapple arms to spread apart and permit the tube to pass from between the rollers.

Operation Inusing the inventionlthe-tube. 43 o'flthe lamp to be installedin its fixtures or removedtherefrom is grasped between. the grapple arms :which are placed astride the midportion of the tube. This is accomplished by manipulation or the pole so that the rollers are pressed against the tube with su'flicient force to cause the grapple arms H to spread away from the stationarygrapple arms 22 in opposition to restraint of the spring I'B so that the tube 43 rests upon the treads 39 of thecrotors 3! due to the reactionary force of the springs l6.- The grapple armsl3 swing inclaims lamp tube is caused to turn upon its axis to a corresponding extent.

For guidance of the operator while installing and removing the lamps from their fixtures, indicia of any suitable character, such as may readily be seen at a distance, are superimposed upon the circumferential faces of the lamps in selected positions thereon to form markers 46-46'. These preferably are located at definite points" relative to the ,larnpzterminalszfi so their position, as thllampis turned 11po'n -its axis, is indicated. If desired, the markers 46 are located :ta't diametrically opposite points on the tube, while the, other markers 46' are located in another-plane that intersects the lamp terminals or .at right angles to the plane of the other markers. To distinguish the one pair .of markers clearly from the others, they are of different colors, thus to enable the operator to turn the tube angularly with respect to its axis to the best positionsfor insertion of the lamp'in'to its fixtureand ejdjdstirrgitinto its proper position for operation; The markersialso serve, as the la mp'is rotatem'to indicate when the terminals reach proper-"- positionsforremoval of the lamp. Variations from-*theparticul" construction above disclosed*rnayibe 'resorted by the exerelse of skill in the art; without departure from the scope-' of th venuongand the. following are intendedtp s m nes of such variaported in said "standards forl turning movement relat ve there pple I arms secured to [said shaft" adjacent s'aidstandards having limited mo e t and. rovi ed w th t n onl to holdsameinf op'erative"position, a tubular shaft mounted concentrically on'the other shaft provided with a ratchet wheel, an] operating, lever mounted"on thetubula'r' shaft having relative movement thereto provided with a .pawl.e ngagin I d eeiq n jh vihg at ns g ean to hold the lever? in" its initial operating position, cylindrical drivers fprovided with elastic treads securedjconcentrically upon said tubular shaft; anoperatirrg sleeve concentrically disposed on said pole and longitudinally movable thereon, and alwireconnected atfone' end with said sleeve and at its opposite fend/with the operating lever, "a portion o'f said 'wirebeing confined within the pole, the upp1er' ,ends of .saictstandards and grapple a ms heYi .ei tw r l l e t r ture} and "provided 'at their upper, ends with rollers, ,the, arrangement beingsuch. that when a lamp tubeis grasped by the appliance between the rollers and drivers the, tubeis turned asthe drivers are"rotated. s f ,7

An" pli nce 'fonreplacing tubular lamps consisting of, frame including across-beam provided at itsmen ds'; with rigid. standards having arcua'te extensions constituting. stationary rapple arms, a. shaft; mounted in said. standards for 'ro'tati've' movement having securedthereon sp n -r r ned arcuate g aee rm movable with the shaft. ,andf displosed; oppositely with revspect to thestationary arms,. a secondary tubuiar' shaft mounted I col la ltiically .onthe other shaft for. rotation thereonand, provided with a ratchetwheel, a springerestrained operating lever loosely disposed onItheQtubul-ar, shaft concentric therewith and provided with a "spring-pressed pawl engaging said wheel, a cylindrical driver secured on each end portion of the tubular shaft, a pole secured at one end to said cross-beam provided with a longitudinally movable sleeve on its opposite end portion, and a connection between said sleeve and lever, said arms being adapted to clasp a lamp tube against said drivers.

' 3. In an appliance for replacing tubular lamps,

a frame consisting of a cross-beam and standards secured to the ends of the beam, having arcuate extensions constituting grapple arms,.

spring-restrained grapple arms having pivotal support in the frame disposed opposite the other arms, cylindrical drivers mounted in the frame,

ratchet mechanism including an actuating lever therefor to rotate the drivers, said lever having aspring to hold itin its initial operating position, a pole on one end of which the frame is supported, a movable sleeve on the opposite end portion of said pole, and a wire connecting said sleeve and lever, said grapple'arms being adapted to yieldingly clasp a lamp tube against said drivers.

4; In an apparatus for replacing tubular lamps, a frame having relatively movable oppositely dis-v posed grapple arms, tension means acting to hold said grapple arms in closed position, a driving member supported in said frame, ratchet mechanism for actuating said member, a pole supporting the frame .on' one end thereof, and a movable operating member on the opposite end portion of the polehaving a connection with the ratchet mechanism to actuate the same, said grapple arms being adapted to receive therebedriving member.

5. In apparatus for replacing tubular lamps,

two pairs of oppositely disposed relatively movthe pole having operative connection with said actuating means, the arrangement being such that when a lamp is clasped against the driving member by said arms and said member is actuated, the lamp is turned upon its axis.

6. An apparatus for replacing tubular lamps, consisting of. a frame having two pairs of rela- J tively movable grapple arms, the outer ends of which have inturned lamp-engaging points, tension means tending to hold the opposed arms in closed position, a driving member rotatably mountedin the frame provided with actuating means therefor, a pole upon which the frame is supported, at one end thereof, and Op rating means movably' mounted on the opposite end portion of the pole having a connection with said actuating means, the arrangement beingsuch that when the grapple arms are placed astride the lamp tube and clasp thereby against the driving member, the tube is axially turned upon rotation of the driving means to a corresponding ASA O. SWITZER.

' extent.

tween a lamp tube and clasp same against said 

